Ben Stokes back from injury but not quite ready for England

Waiting game: Ben Stokes
Action Images via Reuters
Will Macpherson6 July 2018

England are waiting on the fitness of Ben Stokes, despite him scoring an unbeaten 90 on his first competitive appearance for Durham for more than a year last night.

There is good news for their other key all-rounder, Chris Woakes, as he will turn out for England Lions in the four-day game against India A in 10 days’ time in a bid to prove his fitness for the First Test on August 1.

Stokes, though, lacked fluency in his first game since the First Test against Pakistan at Lord’s in May following a hamstring tear. He scored just four from his first 16 balls and reached his total off 68 balls. As wickets fell around him, he was unable to help Durham chase 201 in their T20 Blast opener against Yorkshire.

He hit five sixes but struggled between the wickets, although Durham coach Jon Lewis said that was caused by bruising to his right foot after being hit by balls in the nets.

England hope he will be fit for Sunday’s third T20 against India in Bristol, where later this summer he will appear in court, having pleaded not guilty to a charge of affray.

Stokes, like Sam Curran and Dawid Malan, who both played in last night’s Middlesex-Surrey derby, which was won by the home side by three wickets, was set to travel to Cardiff on Friday.

Woakes tore a quad in the Second Test against Pakistan and has also been managing a long-standing knee injury. He will miss all the white-ball action against India but will turn out for Warwickshire 2nd XI as a specialist batsman on Tuesday, then play a full part in the Lions game at Worcester, starting on July 16. He could then play for Warwickshire against Middlesex in the Championship at Lord’s from July 22.

England’s two key Test bowlers, James Anderson and Stuart Broad, are also managing injuries.

Broad has had injections on a left ankle ligament injury and hopes to play for Nottinghamshire against table-topping Surrey in the Championship on July 22, while Anderson is nursing a problem with his shoulder.

The T20 series continues in Cardiff tonight after England spent yesterday trying to plan for the left-arm wrist-spin of Kuldeep Yadav, who took five for 24 in the eight-wicket defeat at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

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